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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · key · arm · prune · bore · leaves · fall · jam

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bore — to tire
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bore — to drill
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. fall — the season
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com